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HR5999FEDERALin_committee

Small Business Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 5999)

Original title: Small Business Regulatory Relief Act

April 16, 2026

small business federal regulation government accountability compliance small business administration

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Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action

Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.Oct 25, 2023

Lead sponsor

Kweisi Mfume

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

This bill changes how federal agencies interact with small businesses by mandating dedicated staff to help owners navigate complex regulations, grant applications, and compliance requirements.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Small business owners

They will have access to new compliance training, webinars, and dedicated agency points of contact for regulatory issues.

Federal agencies

They must designate a primary point of contact for the Ombudsman and develop new programs to assist small entities with compliance.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill expands the responsibilities of the Small Business Administration's to provide more direct support, training, and compliance assistance to small businesses. It requires federal agencies to designate a specific point of contact to coordinate with the Ombudsman and mandates new outreach initiatives to ensure small business owners are aware of available federal resources.

Key Facts

Requires every federal agency with regulatory authority over small businesses to designate a primary point of contact for the National Ombudsman.
Mandates that agencies develop programs to assist small entities with regulatory requirements, including training, form completion, and compliance guides.
Requires the Ombudsman to work with agencies to create webinars for recently finalized rules and high-inquiry topics.
Directs the Ombudsman to establish formal procedures for agencies to share information about small business inquiries and rule resolutions.
Mandates a robust outreach initiative, including internet-based efforts, to increase awareness of the Ombudsman's services.
Requires the Ombudsman to make education, training, and compliance information easily accessible on its website.
Authorizes 'such sums as are necessary' to be appropriated to carry out these new requirements.
Expands the scope of the Ombudsman's coordination to include agencies that issue grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to small entities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the National Ombudsman do?

The Ombudsman assists small businesses in navigating federal regulatory requirements, provides compliance training, and helps resolve issues between small businesses and federal agencies.

Will this bill cost taxpayers money?

The bill authorizes 'such sums as are necessary' to be , meaning the exact cost will be determined by future budget allocations.

How will I know who to contact at a federal agency?

The bill requires each federal agency to designate a specific employee as the primary point of contact for the Ombudsman to handle small business concerns.

Why It Matters

This bill changes how federal agencies interact with small businesses by mandating dedicated staff to help owners navigate complex regulations, grant applications, and compliance requirements.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of Ombudsman Scope

The bill shifts the Ombudsman's focus from purely regulatory oversight to include active assistance with federal grants and contracts.

Office of the National Ombudsman

Connected Entities

organizationSmall Business Administration“The federal agency responsible for implementing the proposed changes.”Map →

organizationOffice of the National Ombudsman“The office tasked with assisting small businesses with regulatory compliance.”Map →

personKweisi Mfume“Primary sponsor of the bill.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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